Cover plate with flow inducer and method for cooling turbine blades

A gas turbine engine comprising:

• a rotor disk comprising a disk groove, wherein the disk groove comprises a blade mounting section and a disk cavity;
• a turbine blade, wherein the turbine blade comprises a blade root that is inserted into the blade mounting section of the disk groove;
• a seal plate positioned on an aft side of the rotor disk with respect to an axial flow direction, wherein the seal plate comprises an upper seal plate wall and a lower seal plate wall, wherein the upper seal plate wall is configured to cover the blade root;
• and
• a flow inducer assembly positioned on the aft side of the rotor disk with respect to the axial flow direction, wherein the flow inducer assembly is integrated to the seal plate at a side facing away from the rotor disk,
• wherein the flow inducer assembly is configured to function as a paddle due to rotation of the rotor disk and the seal plate therewith during operation of the gas turbine engine to induce a cooling fluid into the disk cavity and enter inside of the turbine blade from the blade root for cooling the turbine blade,
• wherein the lower seal plate wall comprises an aperture that is configured to align with the disk cavity,
• wherein the flow inducer assembly comprises a floor plate that axially extends out from the lower seal plate wall at a radial location that is the lowest radial point of the aperture,
• wherein the flow inducer assembly comprises an inner side wall and an outer side wall that are radially integrated along a perimeter of the aperture at an upstream side and along a perimeter of the aperture at a downstream side respectively with respect to a rotation direction of the rotor disk, and
• wherein the inner side wall and the outer side wall radially extend upward from the floor plate.

A gas turbine engine comprising:

• a rotor disk comprising a disk groove, wherein the disk groove comprises a blade mounting section and a disk cavity;
• a turbine blade, wherein the turbine blade comprises a blade root that is inserted into the blade mounting section of the disk groove;
• a seal plate positioned on an aft side of the rotor disk with respect to an axial flow direction, wherein the seal plate comprises an upper seal plate wall and a lower seal plate wall, wherein the upper seal plate wall is configured to cover the blade root;
• and
• a flow inducer assembly positioned on the aft side of the rotor disk with respect to the axial flow direction, wherein the flow inducer assembly is integrated to the seal plate at a side facing away from the rotor disk,
• wherein the flow inducer assembly is configured to function as a paddle due to rotation of the rotor disk and the seal plate therewith during operation of the gas turbine engine to induce a cooling fluid into the disk cavity and enter inside of the turbine blade from the blade root for cooling the turbine blade,
• wherein the lower seal plate wall comprises a root extending radially downward,
• wherein the root is configured to be displaced into the disk groove after assembly, and
• wherein the flow inducer assembly axially extends out from the root.